This invention relates to a device useful in lyophilization systems of the type which utilizes product carrying plates horizontally supported in stacked relationship.
It is a known fact that after sterilization and/or scavenging, all of the flat surfaces located inside the lyophilization chamber, and more particularly the product carrying plates, are covered with many undesirable condensation drops or drops of scavenging fluid in consequence of their planar nature made necessary by the function they are to perform. On the other hand, sterilization is particularly directed to bring all the inner surfaces of the machine to a temperature corresponding to the steam pressure being used.
Since the heating medium is steam, it will be appreciated how any interference between steam and the surfaces to be heated can adversely affect a correct accomplishment of the sterilization operation. A main hindrance, between steam and the surfaces of the product carrier plates, is the formation of the cited condensate, which tends to resist the achievement of the sterilization temperature at those areas which are wetted by the steam condensate.